The present invention relates generally to firearms, and more particularly, to automatically-resettable target plate rack assemblies.
Target shooting with rifles, pistols and firearms is a common sport, hobby and pastime, and target shooting also develops critical skills for police and military personnel. Permanent and portable target structures having target plates are commonly used to determine the point of impact of the projectile and accuracy of the aim of the shooter.
Traditionally, targets were typically designed hinged to a supporting structure so as to fall when struck by a projectile. The target would then be lifted either mechanically or manually into its ready position. The problem with this type of target is that every time the target is struck it must be manually reset, which, among other disadvantages, placed the target-setter at risk of injury from stray shots fired at nearby targets.
To prevent the continuous resetting of a single target, a multitude of such targets were set up for use by a single shooter. Previous targets were thus costly in that a shooting range would be required to have many targets available for target practice. Further, someone would need to reset the multitude of targets, which requires additional time from the shooter.
Automatically-resettable target plate racks attempted to solve this problem by either changing the target somehow, or by moving the target to a non-target position, upon impact with a projectile. However, the target still required resetting or a return to the target position before shooting could continue.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,062 to Lance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,194 to Steidle et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 2,561,733 to Foyst, other prior art target plate racks require resetting using a string or other pull-type mechanism, which suscept the mechanism to damage and wear from “splatter,” i.e. fragments of projectiles striking the target plates.
As U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,996 to Vedder discloses, battery-operated motorized reset mechanisms are also known, but these suffer from the aforementioned deficiencies due to “splatter,” as well as the necessity for periodic battery replacement and that potential deterioration of sensitive electronic components. U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,752 to Fosseen teaches an automatically resetting target that employs a computer-actuated valve to supply compressed air from a cylinder, which is used to reset the target upon detection by the computer, via a magnetic reed switch, that the target was knocked down. However, this configuration is costly, requires periodic replacement of empty cylinders, and increases the risk that sensitive electronic components will fail.
Other automatically-resettable target plate racks include mechanisms that allow the individual targets to swing and move when struck by a projectile indicating a successful shot, yet pivot back into position or swing back into position for another shot. These devices also have notable drawbacks. First, the targets are arranged side-by-side such that they require the shooter to move his or her line of fire from side-to-side to hit the target. Moreover, the shooter must wait for the target to stop swinging and properly align itself before taking another shot. This does not lend itself to practice of rapid fire marksmanship.
One example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,388 to Marquart, which discloses a self-resetting target that hangs from a frame. When struck, the target pivots about a hinge and abuts a stop to limit its pivotal movement, then automatically pivots back into place under the force of gravity to be ready for the next shot. In addition to the aforementioned deficiencies, this configuration additionally does not permit a plurality of targets to be knocked down before they are all reset in tandem, since a single target is shot, then the shooter waits for it to reset itself, then the target is shot again, then the shooter waits for it to reset itself, etc., and thus, the shooter cannot tell whether or not a target was shot by glancing at the stationary assembly, except immediately upon firing the shot.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,256 to Mosser, which discloses a target assembly including an upright silhouette hinged to a base connected to a stake anchored in the ground. An anchor remote from the target is connected to the target, with an elongated flexible line containing a biasing spring, which biases the silhouette in a generally upright position, such that when hit, the silhouette returns to the upright position. This configuration suffers from the aforementioned “splatter” problem, as well as the inability for the shooter to know whether the target was actually hit, except immediately after firing the shot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,226 to Block discloses a resetting target assembly that includes a pair of targets cooperatively connected by a linkage so that the falling of the first target, when struck by a projectile, raises the second target from a horizontal to a vertical position, and the falling of the second target, when struck by a projectile, raises the first target from a horizontal to a vertical position. This configuration, however, only allows for two targets and does not permit more than two targets to be knocked down before they are all are reset in tandem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,798 to Quiring et al. discloses an automatic reset target having an upright frame connected to a stand for supporting the target on a surface, and a plurality of target arms having target pads that swing on a rod secured to the frame between down target positions to neutral out-of-sight non-target positions when the target pads are hit with projectiles. A trigger arm pivotally mounted on the frame has a target arm holding member which retains the target arms and pads in the neutral out-of-sight non-target positions. A trigger arm pad on the upper end of the trigger arm when hit with a projectile swings the trigger arm in a direction to move the target arm holding member out of engagement with target arms and pads to allow the target arms and pads to return to their down target positions. Among other drawbacks, this configuration requires a plurality of target pads that hang downward, providing a visually cluttered target area, as well as suffering from the aforementioned “splatter” problem. Further, each target pad is mounted on an arm, and this two-piece construction increases the risk of damage and the necessity for frequent parts replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,980 to Hoy discloses a target array including a multiplicity of upright target assemblies. When an upright first target is struck by a projectile, the target pivots to a knocked down position and its stem is held down by a latch. A second depending reset target when struck by a projectile moves to unlatch the stem of the knocked down target, which returns to the upright position. Since each target is mounted on a narrower stem, this two-piece construction increases the risk of damage and the necessity for frequent parts replacement. Additionally, there is no adjustability of target resistance to accommodate various ranges and calibers of rounds, and a fixed minimum level of projectile velocity is required for activation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,820 to Slifko discloses a multiple target apparatus having an array of target plates arrayed linearly and pivotally on a first elongate shaft, wherein a plurality of torsion providing components located on the first shaft are adapted to bias the targets in an upright mode, with a target having a depending arm pinned to rotate upon the imposed deflection of a target by a speeding projectile to a latching position. Arrayed upon a spaced apart, second shaft are a like number of rigid levers spanning the lateral space between the first and second shafts. A detent on the one end of each of the depending arms is adapted to be contacted and arrested by the opposing lever until such are dislodged by a discrete target deflection and array reset, which are located at one end of the device, such that upon imposed rotation of the reset means, it also releases the latching position of the other targets. Just as in the case of the two-piece stem and target construction disclosed in the Hoy patent described above, the construction of each target in the Slifko patent requires a three-piece construction of support collar, depending arm, and target plate, which increases the risk of damage and the necessity for frequent parts replacement, as well as increasing the cost of manufacture by necessitating a complex plurality of parts in the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,722 to Rosellen discloses another resettable target, wherein the single reset target is aligned diametrically opposite from the main target array, rather than aligned with the array. Moreover, the latching and reset linkages are quite complex and are gravity-dependent and therefore operable only in the mode depicted. As is the case with the Hoy patent described above, in the Rosellen patent each target is mounted on a narrower stem, and this two-piece construction increases the risk of damage and the necessity for frequent parts replacement. Additionally, there is no adjustability of target resistance to accommodate various ranges and calibers of rounds.
Thus, there is a demonstrated need for an automatically-resettable target plate rack that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.